There is no discussion on pan-India NRC yet either in the Cabinet or Parliament, Amit Shah said
There is no link between the NPR and the controversial NRC, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said today. Speaking to news agency ANI Mr Shah said he was "clearly stating" that there was no connection between the two programmes. The Home Minister said data collected for the National Population Register (NPR) could not be used to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which he said was a "different process". The declarations comes amid widespread protests - some violent - over the centre's plans for nationwide NRC and controversial amendments to the citizenship law.
"NPR is register of population, NRC is register of citizens. There is no link between the two and the two have different processes," Amit Shah told ANI in a televised interview aired this evening, adding, "There should be no fear in the minds of any citizen, specially minority... our Muslim brothers... that NPR data will be used for NRC".
"NPR is the basis for the structure of government schemes. A few things are new in the NPR like what is the area of the house, how many cattle, etc," he said.
Protests have broken out across the country over plans to implement the NRC in all states; it was carried out in Assam this year and excluded 19 lakh people, most of who are now in detention centres. Fears the NRC, in conjunction with the amended citizenship law, could be used to target Muslims has fuelled opposition backlash and student-led protests.
The Chief Ministers of several non-BJP states have already voiced their opposition to the NRC and Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA; at least two - Bengal and Kerala - have already halted work on NPR, which is seen by many as a precursor to NRC.
Asked for his response on the protests, Mr Shah hit out at "some people spreading rumours". He also said he would "talk and appeal to them" to not play politics over the issue.
Protests against the citizenship law have broken out across the country
"Some parties are opposing NPR so minorities don't get the benefits of government schemes. Some are trying to make people afraid of NPR, as fear against Citizenship (Amendment) Act has ended," Amit Shah claimed.
"When NPR officials come just tick the boxes and the work will be done. No document will be required... Aadhaar may be needed if there is a provision but, if you have it, what is the problem in giving it?" Amit Shah said.
"NPR will not affect anyone's nationality. Even if somebody's name is missing from NPR, then too his citizenship will not be threatened," the Home Minister said, pointing out that the NPR was a "constitutional provision (exercised) by the Congress-led government earlier" that was being followed.
In his interview Mr Shah also said there had been no discussion on a nationwide NRC exercise right now, two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to contradict him on the controversial subject at the core of protests across the nation.
Earlier today the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to update the National Population Register (NPR). The exercise, to be conducted alongside a part of the more extensive Census exercise, is to be carried out in 2021, Amit Shah said; house-mapping will start next year.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries to get citizenship if they fled to India because of religious persecution. Critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution.